Former members of The Police are understood to have launched legal proceedings against frontman Sting, seeking millions of pounds in allegedly unpaid royalties from the band’s musical catalogue.
Guitarist Andy Summers and drummer Stewart Copeland filed the lawsuit against the 73-year-old musician, whose legal name is Gordon Matthew Sumner, claiming they are entitled to substantial compensation for lost earnings.
The Sun reports that the dispute centres on royalty payments from the group’s extensive back catalogue, with sources indicating the former bandmates believe they have been denied millions in rightful earnings.
“This has been coming for quite some time,” a source revealed to The Sun. “Lawyers tried repeatedly to reach an out-of-court settlement but hit a stalemate.”
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The source added: “Andy and Stewart decided there was no alternative than court so pressed the button. They say they are owed millions in lost royalties.”
The legal action has been formally filed at London’s High Court, with the case registered under “general commercial contracts and arrangements”.
Court documents name both Mr Sumner and his company Magnetic Publishing Limited as defendants in the proceedings.
The former bandmates served Sting with a High Court writ after negotiations between legal representatives reached an impasse.
According to sources familiar with the matter, attempts to resolve the dispute outside court proved unsuccessful despite repeated efforts by lawyers representing both parties.
A representative for Sting disputed claims to The Sun that the legal dispute concerned the band’s biggest hit, Every Breath You Take.
The track was the top-selling single of 1983 and ranked fifth in sales for the entire decade, reportedly generating £550,000 annually in royalties for Sting.
The iconic rock trio originally came together in London in 1977, establishing themselves as one of the most successful bands of their era before disbanding in the mid-1980s.
Following their separation, Sting pursued a highly successful solo path, releasing 15 albums between 1985 and 2021, with numerous platinum certifications.
The band unexpectedly reformed for a major reunion tour spanning 2007 to 2008, performing 151 concerts across the globe.
Despite the tour’s commercial success, Sting later expressed regret about the reunion, telling Reader’s Digest: “At the time I labelled the tour an exercise in nostalgia. That was simply how I felt and is still how I feel today.”
He added: “That’s not a slight on the people I was with or the way things panned out, it’s just how I saw it by the end, and let’s be honest, that’s not how I wanted to remember it.”
Sting reflected on his preference for working independently, stating: “I think there is a freedom in being a solo artist. It’s not a power thing, at all, it’s just about producing exactly the brand and style of music that feels right for you.”
He elaborated: “Music, in every form, is a collaborative process, but never more so than in a band, where you have to consider other people almost more than you do yourself.
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“To have total career freedom is, for me, the ultimate thrill of being a solo artist.”
The royalty dispute adds to Sting’s previous legal entanglements over music rights, including his arrangement with Sean Combs, who pays thousands daily for sampling “Every Breath You Take” without permission in 1997.